Unraveling the Mystery
by frigidgrl5
Summary: Liechtenstein finally has a life in which she is happy and content, but when her mysterious history is finally revealed, and her past connections between other nations are realized, will she be able to keep the simple and happy life she loves so much?
1. Prologue

Prologue

Liechtenstein closed her eyes and sighed softly, laying down on the grass that dominated this particular secluded piece of land. It was days like this, with the sun warm but not too bright and birds softly serenading about the small mountain breeze, that she felt like the world was at peace. Eyes still shut, she smiled vaguely and focused on the simple happiness she was feeling right now, relaxing on a soft green bed in a sea of comfort.

After a while she sat up, almost unwillingly opening her eyes to blink at the array of beauty her country was known for. Though she herself owned these mountains and delightful villages, it never ceased to make her grateful for what she had. After all, it could be a lot worse if—

_No_. Lilli was not going to think about what's happened before. Not now. What's done is done, and if she can't change what has happened, she can always choose to forget. Just like everyone else has done.

Only with her, it wasn't so easy.

She flopped back down and shut her eyes again, rubbing them fiercely with her small hands as if trying to rub away the memories of her mysterious history. Luckily she was able to be docile enough when other countries were around, or else they might be tempted into poking around their own historic documents and remember their ties with her. No one could remember; Liechtenstein was happy they didn't, but there was always a chance... Fortunately that chance was small, and now she felt like she could finally be left alone. She gave no other country incentive to pay her attention at all, though she sometimes felt a pang when she'd see any nation with whom she was closely tied with in the past.

Liechtenstein realized with a jolt that the sun was setting, which meant going home to the only country that ever treated her kindly, Switzerland. She felt herself relaxing when she thought of her "brother". He'd saved her when she was about to disappear, had taken care of her without complaint, and even took the stressful work of being a nation off her hands to deal with it himself. She'd be forever grateful to him, for more reasons than one.

However, Liechtenstein couldn't shake off the worry about the possibility that her past could come back to haunt her. She's confessed her fears to Switzerland, and he's assured her that it's nothing to fret about, but just to be sure the documents outlining her history are safely stored in a locked file cabinet in her brother's office. She knows that it's useless to since there were other documents summarizing her past, but this gave her a little peace of mind.

Lilli gathered her skirts and began heading for home, forcing herself to stop thinking these morbid thoughts and concentrate on going home to a welcoming Vash and a warm meal. A small smile returning, she left her musings back at the grassy field, refusing to give them reign over her.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Lilli woke up to find the world outside colder and raining. She sat up and yawned, stretching absentmindedly before arising and getting dressed. She made sure to wear one of her best dresses; Switzerland was going to host a world conference starting later that day and she wanted to make him a big breakfast to prepare him for the stress that was sure to come. Nations at first glance were strong and serious, but Liechtenstein knew that most of them wouldn't act like that at all. She giggled to herself remembering the last meeting she attended, in which England and America got into a brawl (again) as France groped a passed-out Greece. She wondered vaguely what surprises would be in store when everyone would arrive later.

By the time her brother stumbled into the kitchen Liechtenstein had prepared a large breakfast, including toast, eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit. He smiled his thanks at her before diving in, eating as if he had grown two extra stomachs. Lilli took a few pieces of toast for herself and left Switzerland dining in the kitchen, munching contently while she made sure each guest room was properly made up for the later visitors and making sure room assignments would be planned smoothly.

After tidying the bedrooms and the conference room the first nations began to arrive. She smiled quietly until Switzerland came out to greet them, then slipped into the kitchen to busy herself making snacks that would appeal to every nation.

_Let's see.... I should make some scones for England, hamburger sliders for America, maybe different kinds of egg rolls for the Asian nations—_

"I found you! Yay!"

Liechtenstein turned in surprise to find a grinning Feliciano at the doorway. "Mister Italy," she greeted him before bowing. "Welcome to Switzerland's home."

"Thank you!" His eyes roamed the kitchen before returning back to her hopefully. "Do you have any pasta you could make? I'm _sooo_ hungry, and Germany wouldn't make me anything until we were done cleaning out storage only I never did and we left without eating and I'm _starving_!"

Lilli smiled a little despite herself. "Of course Mister Italy," she replied. "Some pasta can be made in about fifteen minutes. Is that okay with you?"

Feliciano smiled back blissfully. "Ve.... Thank you! I have to find Germany now! I'll be back when the pasta's done!" he called as he skipped out of the kitchen.

The smile faded slowly from her face as she turned back to the stove with a sigh. Though there was no way she could get any pasta done before the meeting began, she could at least try.....

"Miss Liechtenstein? Are you here?"

She turned around in surprise and looked up at a tall, grim-looking man who had just entered the kitchen. "Mister Germany?" Lilli blinked and bowed again. "Welcome! Are you looking for Italy? He was just here—"

"I know." He tugged at his collar and cleared his throat. "I actually wanted to talk to you."

Lilli looked at him in confusion. What business would Germany want with her? "Are you sure it's not Switzerland you want to talk to?" she asked in puzzlement. "He's the one that takes care of the affairs of my country."

"No; I want to talk to you." He looked down at her with an indecisive expression on his face, baffling Liechtenstein even more. "Did... did Italy mention anything about cleaning storage?" he asked her, looking at her as if it was supposed to mean something.

"Um.... yes.... I think so...." She was struggling to understand why that mattered to her, but soon gave up. "Is that supposed to mean something?"

He sighed. "I'm not one to beat around the bush, and the conference will begin in a little bit, so I'll make this as short as I can." Germany cleared his throat and looked directly at her. "I was doing some spring cleaning of old historical records of Italy's that looked like they haven't been touched in years," he began. Her face paled, but he didn't notice as he kept on speaking. "These records go back to when Italy was a small child. There were even some records about his grandfather, Rome. I was reading them to see if they had any value to keep, and.... well, to make a long story short, I know about your time spent living with Italy's Grandfather Rome."

Liechtenstein slammed into the wall behind her, as if this information physically pushed her off-balance. She stared at the stoic blond nation wide-eyed, almost rebuking his knowledge of her time as a Roman province. "I—I only worked as a maid," she spoke quietly. "I was never an important person to Mister Rome. I was never able to contribute to what had happened when I lived there."

Ludwig coughed into a gloved hand, noticeably uncomfortable talking to a small and terrified girl. "I know that," he said detachedly. "Nevertheless, you were part of a great empire, no matter how seemingly insignificant, and because of that you are a.... nation of interest, and could potentially be a threat to nations today."

"N—no I couldn't!" she protested. "I hate fighting, and I don't even have the means to do so! I see no way—"

She cut herself off when Germany surveyed her impassively, chilling her to the bone when she realized that nothing she'd say would alter his opinion.

"Even so," he answered grimly. "I don't think anything your country does will be seen without possible ulterior motives anymore. I have to think about the good for my people, and a nation who was involved with a grand empire would have quite a bit of knowledge as to spotting others' weak points and exploiting them." He crossed his arms and sighed, almost as if talking has aged him. "I have to go, the meeting will start soon." He strode to the door and paused to glance back at her frozen form. "And by the way, I'm not trying to threaten you. I'm just informing you that I have information about your early life. _Auf Wiedersehen_," he called as he departed.

Lilli stood leaning on the wall for support, eyes still wide until she was finally able to push herself off the wall and calm herself as best she could. She looked towards the door, where the faint strains of the meeting's start could be heard. "Quite a few empires, actually," she murmured to the empty kitchen before walking away.

Lilli made her way back to her room before sitting precariously on her rocker, strewn with pillows for comfort as she plopped down and tried to recollect herself. The food she was going to prepare was forgotten as she lay back in the soft chair, closing her eyes and remembering her time living at Mister Rome's house:

_Her earliest memory was one of working at Grandpa Rome's house as a chibi-maid. Because of her shy tendencies and difficulties in building relationships, she kept to herself all of the time and only looked at people timidly from the shadows, only remembering different ladies coming and going, later children and grandchildren coming to play with their caretaker, and keeping out of everyone's way at the imposing house. Her time spent living there WAS unimportant and of use to anyone; she didn't amount to much in that place...... _

Liechtenstein sighed and looked miserably out the window, whose desolate weather seemed to match hers uncannily. She pressed her forehead to the cool glass, staring blindly at the dark blue and green hues outdoors, not wanting to think about anything except the haze that gently covered the outside world.

Speaking of the outside world.... Lilli got up and poked her head in the hallway, turning an ear in the direction of the world conference. There was a muffled crash and a little shouting; good, that meant a flustered Switzerland would call for a break soon. She slipped out into the hallway and put a hand against the wall, waiting until the nations would shuffle out so she could talk to Switzerland and figure out what to do.

Mister Germany knows about her time as part of the Roman Empire, and she doesn't want him or anyone else to find out about everything else she's been a part of.

A/N: I did my research. Liechtenstein used to be a province of Rome back in the day. It was just a territory back then, and didn't become a nation until.... well, you can get THAT story later in this fanfic! I hope I gave you something to look forward to! *peeks out of hidey-hole in case this it too much a cliff hanger* I'll get the next chapter out next week; thanks for reading!!

_Auf Wiedersehen=_ "Goodbye" formally in Germany. Liechtenstein's official language is also German, so I thought it'd be a nice little tidbit to include ^^


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"DAMMIT, IF YOU GUYS CAN'T BE SERIOUS AT THIS CONFERENCE, LEAVE AND DON'T COME BACK UNTIL YOU _CAN_!" A very pissed-off Switzerland threw the door to the meeting room open with a crash and snatched his gun, meaning business. The nations gathered shuffled out quietly, not daring to give Vash the excuse to point his gun at them. Still furious, he turned back to the previously tidy room that now lay in a mess. Quite a few chairs were on their sides, papers were strewn everywhere, and a long cut from a knife was on top of the large conference table. He sighed and sat down warily on an undisturbed chair, the rifle spread across his lap.

Liechtenstein stood at the door quietly, gazing at her silent caretaker before cautiously stepping into the room. "Onii-sama?" she spoke softly.

He whirled around and, seeing her standing there with wide eyes, visibly eased. "Did you hear the shouting?" he asked knowingly, taking in her pale face.

She surveyed the wreckage with an simple awe. "Only slightly," she replied, now unsure if she should bring up what has happened earlier.

Vash nodded, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Hosting conferences is very stressful work," he muttered, more to himself than Liechtenstein. "I swear, I'm going to be the happiest nation alive when I get them all out of my country. It puts me on edge to have them all here at once." He grimaced, unconsciously gripping the gun tighter with one hand.

Lilli sighed inwardly. She didn't want to add onto Switzerland's tension by telling him about Germany. He'd be that much more stressed out, and a stressed-out Switzerland meant a more trigger-itching Switzerland. It could probably wait until after the conference anyway; it wasn't like Germany was going to declare war or do anything drastic, after all.

She hugged Vash tightly and straightened slowly. "Would you like me to make you some tea, Onii-sama?" she asked. "It might calm your nerves a little."

He nodded again and gave her a weary smile. "Yes. Thanks, Lilli."

She smiled back before turning and going back into the kitchen, making sure she closed the door firmly behind her so nobody would think she was in there. She felt like she also needed something soothing to wash down that lump in her throat. Liechtenstein quickly prepared two cups of hot tea and added a small spritz of lemon to each before setting them carefully on a tray and heading back to the conference room.

When she was only one hallway away from where her brother waited, however, a strong hand suddenly grabbed her arm from behind and sent the tray flying, only to hit the floor and spill the drinks with a stifled thud. "The tea!" Lilli gasped before the same hand spun her around.

Blinking away the sudden dizziness and fright, the first thing she saw was Italy peeked out from behind, an expression of mild discomfort making his hair curl quiver. He looked at her for a second before glancing up. "What did you want me to do?" he asked timidly.

Lilli followed his eyes up to find frigid blue eyes staring back at her. "Just tell me if you recognize her," Germany replied quietly. "I just want to know for sure if she's been part of that empire."

"What empire?" Feliciano asked in puzzlement. "She's being looked after by that Switzerland guy. And he's not big enough to be called an empire. What'cha talking about, Germany?"

_Crap_. Germany was going to try and get Italy to tell him where he's seen Liechtenstein before. She understood suddenly that Italy could tell Germany about other ties to nations, and struggled violently to break free. It proved useless, as her attempts at escaping proved feeble compared to Germany's strength.

Still turned toward Italy, he shook his head and loosened his tight grip on Lilli slightly. "She just doesn't seem like the type to have a lot of military experience and knowledge," he replied, looking away quickly when she looked up at him on the verge of tears. "I don't know..... the documents seemed pretty accurate, but I want to _know_ without a doubt." He turned to face Italy. "That's where you come in, Ita-chan," he explained. "Just tell me if you recognize her from anywhere before, okay?"

"Umm..... okaaaaay." Italy came out curiously and surveyed her with an inquisitiveness. Realizing where she vaguely remembered him from, she dropped her head quickly to hide her face, hoping desperately that he wouldn't identify her as anything, that he couldn't remember who she was.

"Miss?" Feliciano patted her with a simple kindness, probably noticing her fright. "I don't know you that well, but I can see that you're scared. But really, there's nothing to be scared of. Germany may seem too serious to have fun, but he can be a really nice friend to have and he won't hurt you." He sounded like he was trying to be comforting, like he really didn't know her from anywhere and just wanted to calm her down, but she was still afraid that Italy would still recall some of her past. "And besides—" She heard a surprised grunt and looked through her bangs to see Italy squeezing Germany tightly around the waist. "He might be tough, and he's really macho so he looks like he will hurt you, but I know him! He's really just a big softie who likes looking at po—"

"_Italy!_" Germany's thunderous voice cut off Feliciano quickly, making Lilli jump. "That's personal information! I just want to know if you know this girl from somewhere before!" Before she realized it Italy had already pushed the hair out of her face and had already gotten a good look at it. She squeaked and ducked her head, but by then it was too late.

Italy's eyes had already brightened in recognition, unknowingly terrifying her even more. "Ve~ I remember now!" he exclaimed. "You were that shy worker I saw spying on me from a corner once! I went up to say hi, but you ran away! Do you remember that?"

Her voice couldn't work even if she wanted it to; this gentle nation had just practically ruined what she wanted to be kept under wraps forever. "And whose house did you see her at, Italy?"

Her eyes widened as she silently pleaded with Italy. _Please don't answer, please don't answer—_

But he didn't seem to notice her soundless begging. He smiled, probably pleased he could add onto the conversation. "At Holy Roman Empire's house, of course! Wow, it almost seems like such a long time ago, but it probably—"

"_Holy Roman Empire?!_" Ludwig's eyes widened in shock as his mouth hung ajar. "She was also with the _Holy_ Roman Empire? Are you positive it wasn't at Rome's home instead?"

"Yep!" Italy blushed and looked away. "I... could never mistake anything I've experienced there."

"But... but....but....." Liechtenstein realized with a start that Germany's grip had slackened in astonishment, and she took that opportunity well, turning quickly and racing down the hall. She heard Germany give a late shout behind her, but she knew he could never catch up with her now.

She ran outside and raced directly to the only place she could hide: the entrance to the cellar. Yanking open the door, she flung herself inside and locked the opening behind her; and just in time too. A minute later she heard heavy boots sprint outdoors and a clear string of German curses. "_Sheisse_, where did she go?!"

"I don't know," she heard someone with an Italian accent reply. "But why are we looking? She'll probably turn up sooner or later in a little bit."

She heard Germany sigh. "I know that, but I just want to hear the truth from her before her brother notices that we were talking with her and fill us with bullets. I don't intend to arrive back to my country in a coffin."

"Oh yeah.... that wouldn't be good....." Liechtenstein heard Italy exhale noisily and trod back to the house. "Well, I still think it could wait until the end of the conference. You can do whatever you want then. Besides, it's too muddy out here to look; if you really want to, just try again tomorrow." Then she heard a door swing shut and knew that he must have gone inside.

Germany grumbled, "This is probably why he's not good with wars. He doesn't think things through," before groaning and following his friend back inside. Lilli still didn't dare to venture back out, though. She had no intention of going back to face any nation now; what's more, she didn't have to go out of the cellar. She squinted in the dimness and could make out some shelves laden with cans. There was always some food down here for storage; she could stay down here as long as she liked.

Liechtenstein sank against the wall, gazing into the darkness surrounding her. She couldn't hear anything except the dying pattering of rain hitting the ground, and soon lost herself in her thoughts. She began thinking back to the eighteenth century, and as if it were a movie she saw her memories come alive before her.....

_The shy child, only known as Lilli then, was dusting a forgotten corner in the house of the Holy Roman Empire. Because she was nervous about meeting new people all of the other servants ignored her, and she did as many chores as a child her size could accomplish. _

_ That is, until another little maid with a curious hair-curl spotted her in the corner and rushed up to her. "Hi!" she said. "I'm Italy! I just ran away from talking with the Holy Roman Empire and want to find somewhere good to hide; can you help me?"_

_ Lilli, a mixture of shock and fear rooting her in place, said nothing. The maid continued to chat. "I just get really flustered when I'm around him for some reason. Do you think it might be because I dress in girl clothes but I'm really a b—" A sudden thunderclap from outside made them both jump. Lilli, being almost more terrified of storms then than anything else, squeaked and ran away, trailing the duster behind her. She heard the puzzled maid call behind her, "Wait! I still want to talk to you! Please come back!"_

_ She turned to look behind her, but because she didn't look to see where she was going bumped right into another figure running, this one with large blue eyes and a flowing cape. She gasped; did she really just run into Holy Roman Empire himself?! "I—I'm so sorry!" she wailed before racing away again._

_ "Wha...? Hey, wait!" he called, but she was already in full-sprint mode. Behind her she took notice of a small conversation between the empire and the little maid. "I was just talking to a nice-looking servant who was going to help me, and I saw her bump into you. Where'd she go?"_

Liechtenstein, as if she was there again, felt the blood rush into her cheeks. That was one of the more embarrassing memories. But in some strange way, it helped her in the end: later the Holy Roman Empire officially made her a country in a small ceremony a few months later. Either that accidental bump made him remember she was a nation too, or she was upgraded to a principality because Italy had been talking about her; she knew slightly that he and the Holy Roman Empire were friends, though she didn't know of how much to an extent. Maybe later after the coast was clear she could go up into Switzerland's office and research—

_Switzerland! _Oh, _crap_! What's he going to think about her sudden disappearance? Not telling him about Germany could save him a ton of stress, but her vanishing would give him ten times more. Why did Germany have to go through those old records, anyway? Darn spring cleaning!

Liechtenstein got up and ran a hand against the door. Should she come out of hiding? Well, she did hear Germany talking about being afraid of her brother. Maybe she could stay with him until all of the countries left. Yes, that seems pretty good. And she could always stay in her room and lock the door when she can't be with him. It wasn't like anyone else would try to talk to her too.

Feeling slightly more confident in her plan, she hesitantly opened the door to the cellar and blinked at the hazy sunshine that must have came out after she hid herself. She shielded her eyes against the light filtering through the rainy fog and hoped that it was a sign that everything could turn out okay.

A/N: The Principality of Liechtenstein as such was created on January 23 in 1719 by act of Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, who made it a direct fief of the crown. There's no historical reference I could find about Liechtenstein having ties with Italy during this time, but it seemed like a very convenient and cute way to bring Lilli to HRE's attention during the memory bit.

Sheisse: A German curse word.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Waiting until she knew the coast was clear Liechtenstein snuck silently into the house, scurrying to hide herself at every move she made. Making as swift progress as was possible she made it back to her room on the other side of the house. She looked longingly at the sight of the Alps in the distance before turning determinedly and making her way back to the meeting room. Thank goodness for alternate passageways; she made quick use of the emptier ones as she slipped back to the meeting room. Most of the countries were probably somewhere else on the premises taking their time rather than getting back to the chaotic summit. That proved to be for her advantage as she reached the doors of the meeting room without encountering any other nation.

Lilli hesitated before the door, remembering the spilled tea from before. She'd have to tell her brother about the mess, but could possibly put off until later the reason why she'd spilled it. As long as the tea would be cleaned from the carpet, she doubted Switzerland would get too angry about it. She took in a breath to completely relax herself as she opened the door to the conference room and stepped in.

What she saw Brother doing, however, made her completely forget about the spillage. Switzerland's usual handgun was abandoned on the ground in favor of the firearm he was carefully aiming now, fixated on something through the window outside with a furiously stoic expression on his face. She knew what that expression meant; he only wore it when someone had angered him to the point when he used any one of his firearms to keep whatever they threatened away.

Lilli squinted out the window, barely making out someone who seemed to be searching some branches of a tree in the backyard. Out of her brother's line of vision she looked on, noting that all the unknown person was doing was searching branches; it didn't seem like it was anything threatening. But then why was Switzerland so focused on whoever it was? Who could have provoked him in the ten or twenty minutes that she was gone? She reached forward and gently tapped him on the back.

"Onii-sama? What's wrong?"

Switzerland whirled to face her, a look of surprise so blatant on his face it made Lilli want to laugh at the rare sight. "Liechtenstein?" He looked a little shocked that she was in the room with him.

"Yes." She looked back out the window at the hazy figure. "Um... who were you aiming at out there?"

A horrible scowl returned to his face before he closed his eyes and exhaled noisily. "Just a _German_ who can't keep out of other's _business._" He looked meaningfully at Lilli before biting his lip and taking a quick look outside again.

She felt the color drain from her face, but she turned to hide it. "W-what do you mean?"

He glanced at her and slowly set the firearm down. Without looking back up he began. "I was waiting for you so I stayed in here, not doing much of anything except that. Then I noticed what sounded like two people arguing, and when they got closer I could tell one of them was_ Germany_.

"I heard him and that idiot Italy talking just outside the room," he spoke as he indicated the door. "They probably didn't realize I was still in here. Everything else was quiet, so I could hear everything they were saying. That dumb _Germany _was talking about going back outside to get you and interrogate you more fully about..." At this he trailed off and turned back towards the window with a vicious snarl. "It was something he shouldn't be concerned about in the first place. You don't need to worry about it." He pressed the barrel onto the glass as he aimed again. "Now if he'd get close enough for a clean shot..." she barely heard him mutter.

She was planning to keep this from him, but now that he knows about the situation it could be alright for her. She thought she could possibly handle it herself, but now she could see that her brother has to be involved and help, even if she doesn't want him to be that much more stressed. It looked like she had no other choice but to tell him everything that's happened.

Lilli took another deep breath and looked down at the ground. "I—I knew about this. Before the conference started," she began quietly, feeling the blood creep into her cheeks in embarrassment.

She saw him turn towards her from the corner of her eye, but she continued when he said nothing. "Mister Germany approached me this morning and told me that he... he k-knew about when I lived under Mister Rome." She could feel tears coming, but she tried hard to keep them inside until she fully explained. "And then h-he got Mister Italy to identify me, and h-he now knows a-about when I-I was with H-Holy R-Roman Empire." It was no use; she covered her face to try to keep the crying at a minimum, but she couldn't keep it out of her voice. "S-so I ran a-and he almost got me if I d-didn't hide and, Switzerland, I-I'm so _scared_."

Now she was openly sobbing, terrified of Germany's newfound knowledge. "I was g-going to k-keep this from you s-so you w-wouldn't worry, a-and I thought I'd b-be able t-to handle it my-myself, b-but I really c-_can't_. I-I'm s-s-so—"

"Hey." Lilli looked up just in time to see her brother before he gave her a quick hug. He gently sat her down in an upright chair and patted her shoulder. "It—it'll be alright," he reassured her as she slowly stopped crying. "Look, I know that this seems really bad, but it really won't matter after a few days or so. Just because you were part of an old nation doesn't mean anything nowadays. This information can't threaten anyone, and Germany will realize that once he gets his brain back from wherever it went. They'll see that you don't mean to harm anyone and that'll be that."

Lilli nodded, seeing the logic that he was presenting. However, one thing still bothered her. "Mister Germany also said that he'd be keeping an eye on me to make sure I'm not up to anything," she confessed, biting her lower lip. "I don't know what he meant by it. What should we do about that?"

"Easy, Liechtenstein!" He gave her an encouraging grin. "He didn't do his homework, did he? I mean, you're so peaceful you don't even need a military force, since it's not like you're going to fight anyone."

She felt a spark of hope. "That's true..."

"And besides, he's not likely to try anything with me here. He knows that I'll protect you, and he won't mess with me." Switzerland gave a tight smile to her, eyes softening as he comforted her. "No one's tried to fight me for a long time now. I'm too good at fighting, and everyone knows it. I don't think Germany wants to enter or start any kind of war with me anytime soon. You'll be perfectly safe with me here."

Much-needed relief flooded Lilli as she finally smiled a little. "You're right, Onii-sama." She took out a handkerchief and wiped the last of the tears away, feeling immensely reassured. "Mister Germany would never invade or do anything like that! Thank you _so much_ for helping me with this. I don't know if I could stand another one again anyway, but with Onii-sama to help me I'll stay safe! Thank you!"

She looked up to smile brightly at Switzerland, happiness secure in this respect. But he was only staring her with a horrified look in his eyes. He trembled slightly in an unexpected rage as his upper lip curled. "Who?" he whispered, fists clenching at his sides. "Who?"

She felt some of the relief crawl back to insecurity as she took in his different expression. "Who for what?" she asked, apprehension laced in every word.

"What do you mean, 'again'?" Fury reappeared in his eyes as he grabbed the rifle again. "Who has invaded you? _Who?_"

She could only look back in confusion for a moment before realizing her mistake. She twisted her kerchief in nervous knots as she looked down in her lap, mortified. "It wasn't recently; no one worries about it now. It was a long time ago, Onii-sama. None of it matters to me anymore." But Lilli was never a good liar; without looking up she could tell he knew she was fibbing.

"I don't care!" Switzerland bellowed. "This is very important! I bet you weren't even an official country when you were first invaded, were you? I bet whoever did it before you could call yourself a nation didn't worry that they were hurting you, _did they_?" Liechtenstein twisted her kerchief into a tight ball as her brother shouted. He surprised her when he suddenly grabbed her shoulders, looking at her straight in the eye. His voice still retained its rage, but it seemed subdued as he talked directly to her. "Liechtenstein," he began. "All this time I've respected your privacy, and I trusted you enough so that I wouldn't go snoop for things that weren't mine to snoop for. But now—" He glanced towards the window before looking back at her. "I... I have to _know_. I need to understand at least a little of what you've been through before I could be there. I swear, I won't do anything drastic if you tell me now, but this is something that I have to know about so I'll have a better idea of what's going on."

Lilli looked wide-eyed at him before looking away, feeling the blood creep back into her cheeks. No matter what she said, she could still remember that fear-provoking point in her past. In retrospect it wasn't as bad as what else could have happened, but it still affected her all the same...

_Little Lilli trembled with held back fright as she stared with wide eyes at the larger nation looking down at her with vague pity. His status as an actual country made her useless to stop him, small and vulnerable as she was. This fact reverberated in her mind mercilessly: _This was an invading nation. An invading nation. An invading nation. An invading nation.

_He adjusted his glasses and coughed uncomfortably. "I apologize for this, but in wartime, invasions are bound to happen." She shut her eyes to fight the tears escaping, so this aristocrat wouldn't see her weaker than what he knew she was. All Lilli could do was wait until he left her borders, unable to do anything else because she was not a country like he was..._

_Liechtenstein found herself in the same situation later in the Thirty Years' War, upon realizing another country had invaded her. This one was even scarier, who could only be described as intimidating to one such as her. "M' s'ry. M' j'st pass'n through." That's all he said, though she could barely understand him at the time. Even later, when the bloodshed between surrounding nations ended and she thought she was safe, a man in a mask had to come. Lilli almost felt as if he was there to remind her that she could not stay safe. She could only recognize him from doing the same thing, years befor; remembering the same sound of the castle collapsing, the smoke filling the sky, the coarse laughter that reached her ears. She'd never felt so relieved when he left with his troops just like the two before him, now more than ever wishing she could have a strong support as well._

Liechtenstein swallowed. "Before I became a real country, Austria and Sweden... invaded me. I couldn't really do anything about it, so I had to wait until they left to do anything." She paused, unable to bring herself to look at her brother's reaction as she continued. "Turkey also invaded twice, but that didn't have lasting impact so I don't remember much." That was a lie about the lasting impact, but if it would lessen Switzerland's temper in any way she didn't care. The invasions were all water under the bridge anyway, regardless of how much each one changed her outlook on the world. "Those were the... first times I was... invaded." She spoke more softly than usual and paused uncomfortably at times. "I don't think any of them meant lasting harm, because no one really... tried to make it last... but they left me alone for the most part after that. There's really nothing to worry about there."

Switzerland's hands were still on her shoulders, and it took until then for her to make eye contact and notice the numbness that had appeared in the green spheres. He didn't look to be focusing on anything; the blank facial expression betrayed nothing as to whatever he was thinking of. She also realized that his hands were barely holding her. It was as if he was only using her shoulders as a resting place for unusually still and weak palms. "Onii-sama?" she asked tentatively.

He blinked sporadically and released his slack grip on her as he straightened slowly, eyes still far away. Lilli started as she fully assessed his appearance; on his face there was look that almost looked... _defeated_.

But that couldn't be right! Next to a select few, Switzerland was one of the most notorious countries that existed; never has she seen him look so overwhelmed before. Could it be her fault? _Was_ that her fault? "Onii-sama?" she tried again, close to the verge of hysteria.

He blinked again as his eyes slowly settled on her. His face twisted slightly for a moment, but smoothed out into one masking his emotions. "Liechtenstein," he spoke, the underlying distress in his voice barely detectable. "How... how long ago were you invaded those first few times?"

Her grip moved to her dress as she grabbed fistfuls of it in confused worry. "Around three or four centuries ago," she answered, voice straining to keep panic out of its tone. "Does that mean anything?"

"It does if other countries find out about it." Switzerland walked slightly unsteadily to another chair and sat down, running a hand through his hair. "Liechtenstein..." he began, staring at her imploringly. It sounded like he was going to say more, but hardening look briefly flitted across his face as he abruptly stood. "I... I'll be back," he finished hastily as he walked quickly out of the room, leaving an emotionally confused and frightened sister in his wake.

A/N: Liechtenstein was invaded by Austrian troops and later Swedish troops in the Thirty Years' War (1618–48), before it officially became a principality. The part about Turkey is referencing 1529 and 1683, in which the castle at the heart of Liechtenstein was twice ruined in sieges by the Turks. Little Lilli seems to be more battle-scarred than we all thought... (ohoho, cliff-hanger!)

I also want to apologize for taking so long to get this out! There is no excuse for me putting this off; I'm sorry! I promised myself that I'd get this back on track, so I won't take three months next time (with any luck...) I think I know where this is heading now, and now I think I can write accordingly without feeling as pressed for words. You won't believe how long I had to wait to get this up here; thanks for your patience and positive feedback! I'm still relatively new to posting Fanfiction, and I'm sure my shyness is evident here :P Regardless, thanks again for reading! Chapter 4 should be up in the next few weeks!


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Liechtenstein sat there stunned for a minute before jumping up and running after Switzerland. He was already gone by the time she opened the door and got into the hallway, but years of living together had taught her at least one thing: whenever Vash was stressed (and couldn't solve it by shooting) he'd go as far away from the source of that stress as possible – and because she knew his boss instructed him not to leave the property during the conference unless there's an emergency she knew also he was going as far away as possible _on the estate_.

Quickly going over a mental layout of the home in her mind Lilli quickly set off to where that would be. It didn't take her long to reach the small study no one uses regularly on the opposite end of the house. Her hunch proved to be correct: the door to the room was slightly ajar and, as she peeked in from the wide slit, she saw fresh footprints on the dusty hardwood floor leading inside.

Lilli was about to go in, but paused as a new thought came to her. What if Switzerland was running away from _her_? It was true that there was something to be bothered about, judging by the way he'd left so abruptly, but she couldn't be sure if she herself had caused it. Speaking of which, she didn't know exactly what it was Switzerland was so upset about. Whatever it was, she realized, it had to be something concerning her.

She let her hand fall slowly to her side as she looked down at the ground. Of course, her presence could make Switzerland feel even worse, given how quickly he left the conference room and the fact he was semi-secluding himself now. Liechtenstein took a small step back and walked silently away, trying to grant him the luxury of privacy if only for a few minutes.

Lilli didn't have a specific place in mind to go, but she found herself almost to the parlor near the front of the house. She walked in through the large entryway and stood for a moment, taking in the familiar surroundings. Everything was slightly outdated, and the decorations were not things that looked new and classy, yet one couldn't fail to notice the careful cleanliness and the welcoming atmosphere. It certainly wasn't a room that showed off expensive or modern pieces, but the furniture was kept in mint condition and always comfortable; something Liechtenstein desired desperately at that moment.

Sinking into one particularly cozy chair she pushed her worries to the back of her mind and tried to concentrate on the more optimistic things. Whatever may come, she should be prepared for it, and worrying so much could make that disappear. Besides, it could be much worse than this is. Fortunately, no one is ill, nobody is hurt, nobody is dangerously poor, and no one is fighting any major wars. She had enough food, a place to call home, a wonderful economy, family to take care of her, beautiful land... she was thankful that she had so many blessings.

She was still far from being as carefree and at peace, but this helped soothe her. Lilli played with the ribbon in her hair absentmindedly, fingers twirling the strip of lavender slowly. She rested an elbow on one small knee, fervently wishing there was a way to magically sweep this problem away. This was the main reason she wished to keep her history secret.

Liechtenstein was not a dense or ignorant person. She was a country with just as long a history as others, but she was able to have the opportunity to observe others without getting involved. She knows that nations still harbor feelings from points of the past, whether it be from wars, old alliances, failed colonization, or other significant events. She knew that history and culture combined to make a nation who they are, and she could see why some are cheerful, some are bitter, some are serious in every endeavor, why some have the quirks they have. Past relationships still dictate how the personifications treat one another, whether they realize this or not; Lilli could see all of this. It wasn't hard to figure these things out.

And because of this, she was also fearful that these nations may recall how some of them could take advantage of her easily, may remember that she was never one to be forceful or strong, dredge up any reason to treat her like anything other than who she really was. Liechtenstein was a quiet person who wouldn't hurt a fly, and her hushed politeness earned her the detached respect of most. However, this unfriendliness from Germany was proof that even the smallest details could turn against her. That was exactly what she had been trying hard to avoid, why she let shyness hinder her from getting close to anyone else except Switzerland. He was her anchor to the world, and she would never do anything to lose that sense of security.

Liechtenstein's hand closed tightly on the ribbon as she mulled over this. What would this dilemma with the German nation bring? She felt a little sick when she thought about what he could do with this information. It could give him incentive to dig deeper and discover more things, draw others' attention to her past, could even use it against her in ways she couldn't bring herself to imagine. Lilli leaned forward and rested her chin on the armrest, feeling dejected.

A movement from the corner of her eye caused Liechtenstein to glance up. Switzerland had just walked in the doorway, but hesitated as if he was unsure of what to do. He met her eyes and looked away quickly, but not before she saw their pained look. "Onii-sama." She kept her eyes on his face, hoping he'd look at her again. "Are... Do you feel any better now?"

"Well..." The Swiss man rubbed his eyes. She hadn't noticed previously, but they were beginning to turn red from the constant rubbing. "To be honest, not really."

Lilli blinked, not sure what to make of that. Usually their worst problems had to do with finding the best deals at the grocery store and save money, or trying to pay attention when he tried to teach her things but only being able to concentrate on the cute drawings. This was far from her level of expertise, and she wasn't sure as to how to deal with it. She wanted desperately to help in this situation, but she didn't know exactly how and still didn't get how to make it better – how could she put this into words without making herself look helpless?

When she didn't respond he began quietly. "I'm a country," he began, speaking with his eyes shut. "And so are you. So I've experienced firsthand what kinds of hardships we have to survive to get to where we are today. I... I should have known you've experienced things before I was there. I never gave any of that thought until today. This could all have been steered clear of if I'd prepared for it earlier. That was a slip-up on my part. I should have realized that sooner."

Liechtenstein jumped up, eyes widening. What was he talking about? None of this was Switzerland's fault, but he was making it sound like he had a part in getting this to happen. None of this _was _his fault, not at all! He shouldn't feel so bad about something he didn't contribute to! She went over to him and hugged him tightly, attempting to comfort him. "Don't blame yourself," she said, squeezing tighter. "None of this is your fault, Onii—"

With an exasperated expression he pushed her away, cutting her off as she retreated a step with surprise. "Dammit! Understand where I'm coming from, Liechtenstein!" He balled a fistful of his hair in one hand, looking much more upset than she'd ever seen him.

Not understanding at all, she could feel her bottom lip tremble ever so slightly. "Onii-sama, please tell me," she replied back, her own voice sounding pitiful and pathetic to her. "I don't know what you mean. Can you please explain?"

He exhaled a breath, and seemingly his frustration with it. Now he looked as sad as he'd been in the meeting room a bit ago. "Liechtenstein, I don't know how much you know about what other countries can do. But sometimes, if a country is under another country's rule, there are many possible ways that other nations can find a reason to... to..." He sighed, a defeated and quiet a sound. "To take them away," he whispered.

Lilli was at a loss for words. It was all she could to focus on what Switzerland was telling her. Because of her past, another country could... _take_ her? That was possible?

He took her expression as answer enough. "I didn't think that anyone knowing you lived under those old Roman countries mattered. Not at first. I mean, they're not going to claim you anytime soon, that's for sure. But... if you've had history with other countries in the past that are, well, still around... if they have valid reasoning, they can take you away from me. And I won't be able to do anything about it."

Even if all they've done was _invade_? A nation can claim another as theirs even if that invasion happened so many _centuries _ago? This could not make sense. "Isn't there anything you could do?" Lilli begged. There had to be something!

"No. Nothing." The pain was just barely evident under the anger. "I'd like to shoot the bastards that try and make sure they won't be able to do anything, but my boss would never allow it... not when it's something as justifiable as that." He paused and went on sadly. "Just... try to lay low until this whole thing with the damn German blows over, okay?"

Lilli was about to answer when a sound from the hallway caused them both to look over. Liechtenstein's face went pale as she felt Switzerland stiffen next to her, both realizing what grave mistake they've just made talking about this in the open.

Where any country could hear.

Staring back at them was not any country, but almost _every_ country in Europe. They must have been making their way back to the conference room and stopped to hear them talking, unbeknownst to either Lilli or Vash. It was almost terrifying, the eerie silence of the crowded nations and the two frozen siblings. No one was able to break the spell of realization evident in this place.

Slowly Liechtenstein scanned the faces she could see, even though she could tell there were more in the hallway who probably heard. Northern and Southern Italy had identical masks of surprise at this revelation. Sweat was forming on Germany's face. Prussia wore a slightly thoughtful expression as he looked at Switzerland. Poland's hands were covering his mouth in exaggerated shock. Russia's eyes were wide open, blinking erratically. France looked like he couldn't decide whether to be astonished or delighted. Hungary's jaw was slack, hands clenched at her sides as if she didn't know what to do with them. Austria's arms were crossed, brows furrowing. And those were only the nations nearest the doorway. It was impossible to see who else has realized they could potentially get Liechtenstein as their own.

So much for a calming aura. It seemed as if the atmosphere had been sucked out of the very room, it was that soundless. Everything was hushed, save for the water that pooled on the roof dripping down slowly. With a start everything was clear to Liechtenstein what so eluded her before. She knew why Switzerland was aiming at Germany through the windows, why he ran off when he learned about her first invasions, why everyone looked like their minds were working furiously and fervently over this matter.

Anyone at the summit, anyone who'd just heard Vash's tirade, everyone who she'd had any kind of contact with ever before, could find the power to bring her away from Onii-sama. Away from their home. Away from the Alps and the beautiful villages. Away from the beautiful simplicity of her life.

Away from the lands of Liechtenstein.

This made her instinctively terrified under the scrutiny of the statue-like personifications standing before her, tortured by their stares. Unable to find the strength to run, she walked on shaky legs out of the other doorway. With her exit she could hear the countries breathe in at the same time, breaking the spell, before an explosion of sound roared behind her. Every nation was talking so loud and fast; they all blended together into an excited hum too complex for her to try and decipher. She didn't try to pick out individual voices, to try and know what they were saying.

It would be better not to know, better to not find out why they will realize they need to expand and demand her to do that. Compared with others on a world map she was just a speck; something easy to conquer, that small spot. She didn't want to know how they rationalized that taking her would be the best thing to do.

Liechtenstein didn't want to think about what she knew to be true.

She kept walking, trying to get away from the voices resounding and the knowledge of exactly how many nations could, can, and potentially will, get her under their control.

It was the only way to keep her under that shattered sense of security now.

**A/N:** AND THE PLOT THICKENS! I feel bad for making Liechtenstein so miserable, but I promise that this'll work out to be a happy ending. *wishes she could give Lilli a cookie*

But back to any references: It's true that Liechtenstein has never had anything major with most countries such as a huge war, but there have been a lot of brushes with other countries. In fact, all of the countries I've mentioned have things to do in Liechtenstein's history in one way or another. I know I was surprised when I was researching. I kinda admire Lilli now for staying so innocent and nice even after all this stuff happened... *shakes head*

Well, next chapter'll detail a little more about the nation's reactions to this, so please keep reading! =D It makes me feel warm and fuzzy whenever I see more Story Alerts or Reviews. If it wasn't for you readers out there, I know would have given up a long time ago. But now, I know I'll be in it until the end :D Thank you so much for reading! I love you guys!


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

This was why he hated world meetings.

England was pretty strong as far as countries go, but when he was fighting both America and France during these brawls it could get ugly and painful fast. As proof of that an unsightly bruise had appeared on his forearm. He'd be able to cover it with his regular suit for now, but he had to remember to sort out issues diplomatically (or try, anyway).

Arthur splashed his face and strolled out of the bathroom, figuring that the break had been long enough and the conference would begin again soon. He didn't know how much they'd get done, if anything, but with Switzerland hosting there would most likely be productivity of some form or another. Though he imagined it would most likely take quite a few threats and an impressive shooting device of some kind to get that done. This he thought of with a smile, imagining a certain Frenchman cowering from a barrel aimed directly at him...

Just as England was fantasizing a wonderfully bloody demise, a blonde blur whirled around the corner and smashed right into him, knocking him to the ground. England swore under his breath as he sat up, and cursed much louder when he saw who it was. "What the bloody devil's your problem?" he sputtered, standing up again and dusting his suit off. "There aren't any women to be taken advantage of around here, so stop sprinting around the place like your life depends on it!"

France pouted, combing out his locks of hair to make sure his tresses weren't dirtied in the process. "Of course not," he replied, accent sounding slightly heavier than usual from his previous exertion. "But it had to be done, _Angleterre._ I must get back to my room, and _soon_."

He looked like he was prepared to run again, but England stopped any further progress by grabbing his sleeve. "I have a feeling you're up to something," he remarked, "and when I have that feeling I almost always end up hearing news about someone being de-flowered in an unpleasant way." He shook France as if to prove this point. "Now what the hell are you up to?"

He saw something strike in France's eyes, but it wasn't irritation like England expected. It was... realization. "Ah, I understand," he spoke, head nodding slowly. "You weren't there to hear the little, ah, _outburst _from our Swiss host, _non_?"

A puzzled expression flitted across his face quickly, but not quickly enough to miss France's notice. "You _didn't_ hear the outburst!" he gasped. "My, my, you may be one of the only ones that haven't!"

England knew he shouldn't humor France when he was being dramatic like this, but his curiosity was piqued. He did his best at making a poker face and letting go of the Frenchman, saying disinterestedly: "I repeat myself: What are you up to?"

France smoothed out the tailored sleeve and rolled his eyes. "Well, if you must know, dear Switzerland just drew our attention to a subject we did not know was possible to obtain, so long as one had good enough reason for doing so." England was about to ask what the devil he was talking about, but France went on when he was about to. "It would be a wonderful thing, really. If anyone can prove that they have the grounds to have Liechtenstein as theirs, then said person c—"

"_What?_" England was too shocked to waste any time beating around the bush. "Let me get this straight: Switzerland had an outburst and said that Liechtenstein... could be taken from him. By any country."

"As long as someone had a good enough reason to do so," France corrected him, examining his fingers with an almost impatient expression.

"And let me guess: You are running to your room to phone your boss to see how quickly you can corrupt her innocence, am I correct?"

He clicked his tongue disapprovingly in response. "I do admit to be a man of_ l'amour_, but that's not my reasoning."

Arthur shook his head in incredulity. "That's a load of utter crap, you bowsie! I know you, and don't try to tell me that you're not in this so you can take the poor lass for yourself!"

France glanced at him sideways. "If you must know, _Angleterre_, I'm going to go through all of this trouble for the free card. And that would benefit me in more ways than even you can imagine."

"_Free card?_"

"_Oui_, _mon cher_. Let me explain in simple terms so you can understand. If any country—let's use _moi_ for an example— happened to have a claim over that darling Lilli and have her become under our guidance instead of Vash's, well, we have a free pass from Switzerland!"

England looked at him blankly. "I'm not following."

"I didn't expect you to." France smirked before going on. "Here's what everyone is most likely thinking: our host Switzerland will always be loving towards Liechtenstein, because he'll still consider her his sister no matter whose rule she's under. He wouldn't want anything at all happening to her, and will do anything he can to keep it that way..."

England was beginning to realize his point. "...Even if he has to refrain from shooting said country... or decide to aid said country in any way..."

"_C'est vrai, tu ane_! It's a win-win situation! If a country has adequate claim over her, then they can have her and own her beautiful lands! She's one of the most prosperous nations in the world right now; not to mention the added bonus of never having to fear her gun-crazy _frère_ ever again!"

England rubbed his nose, another thought striking him. "But why would you want to do that to her and her brother? Separating them like that?"

Now it was France's turn to look at him in disbelief. "What about all those times you've done the same thing? We're not all saints, but you're acting like a hypocrite!" He began counting on his fingers. "There was separating Hong Kong from China, separating _moi_ from Seychelles, separating America from Canada—"

"Alright already!" England threw his hands in the air. "I was just asking! Do you really have to dig up old snippets of history that hardly anyone remembers anymore and use them to your advantage?"

"_Mon amour_, that's exactly what I plan to do once I get back to my chambers." France shook his head and sidestepped the Englishman, earning a look of utter disgust. "What? No matter what you may think, this has the potential of forever improving connections with our neutral nation, _oui_? And it's an opportunity I do not intend to miss." He strode around the corner and disappeared, leaving an irritated Englishman in his wake.

England heaved a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair, at a loss as to what to do next. Though he won't even try to separate Liechtenstein from her brother, it looked like some would stop at nothing to try to find sufficient enough reasoning to do this. And he for one knew how deep some connections ran in the course of time. He walked away, already feeling bad for what lay ahead for the nation in the middle of it all.

"Like, I know I've been forceful with her in the past, with land and stuff, but maybe she's totally gotten over it, you know?" Poland was munching on some of his native snacks as he talked with a green-eyed brunette opposite him. "Everyone, like, gets over stuff eventually, don't they? Especially us countries. We don't bring up problems of the past so we can keep the peace, don't we?" He nomnom-ed some more on his paluszki treats before sighing dramatically, waving his free hand in a shooing manner. "Besides, the Polish rule can always be in effect! So, like, I can totally help myself with that."

Lithuania had already learned quite a while ago that if you ever try to get a word in edgewise while Poland is chatting up a storm, you'll only get rudely interrupted and subjected to a tirade of "Like, why don't you agree with me, Liet?" and a lot of ranting about materialistic things that the Lithuanian _really_ didn't want to talk about, such as the many victories the latter had successfully won in board games (though it was never by the actual rules) and the subject of cross-dressing as a shared hobby (and though it was... _acceptable_ for Feliks, Lithuania would never see the joys of wearing clothes meant for the opposite gender). Toris was really only half-listening, already used to hearing his friend go on about "totally getting with" other nations. "Mmm-hmm, I suppose so," he answered quickly when he noticed a slight lull in the conversation.

"Exactly my point!" Poland waved his stick-like dumplings around as if to further prove this point. "I mean, seriously, I could probably be a better brother to that chick better than any Swiss! I'm totally not saying that I'm better than anyone, but he probably doesn't have any time to spend with her and doesn't care much about her, since he's always, like, learning stuff about how to fight when he's one of the most skilled nations _ever_!" Toris was about to remind him that Switzerland obviously looks after his adopted sister well and saved her in her time of need without expecting anything in return, but Poland went on without noticing. "Like, ehmagawd, Liet, she's such a nice person, but her brother, like, scares everyone off with his super macho guns and junk. I swear, if it wasn't for him helping Liechtenstein first, another country would have totally swooped in to take her in. Seriously—"

Feliks went on and on, but it was at that point where Lithuania stopped listening completely. It was then when he was reminded of a point in his own past, when another country had totally swooped in to take _him_ when his friend didn't help him first... Toris was still grateful for his eccentric friend letting him rehabilitate at his house after his time with Russia, but it could have been avoided at the beginning. He knew from experience that when a forceful and more powerful person took you in, you'd always be reflecting on those happier times and how, if someone had done something, you would still be there...

Maybe he'd keep an eye on what affairs the Republic of Poland officially conducted, just in case. He leaned back in the chair that was on the balcony his room was adjacent too, absentmindedly taking a bit of the paluszki and nibbling on it, lost in memory.

"_Fratello_, please tell me what you're planning on doing I want to knoooooooow!" Feliciano begged to his older brother, practically hanging off his arm as the latter tried to finish an intercontinental phone call.

"I see – _shut off and get the hell off me! I'm on the phone, dammit!_ – and... no, that won't be necessary for this. He'll do damn well anything if food's part of the deal. Mm hmm – _idiot, wait until I'm done to annoy me! You're hanging out with the potato bastard too much!_– yes, I can arrange that. Just make sure that he doesn't make any alliances with any potato bas—I mean, any _suspicious person_ that he might try to ally with to get something... located in Europe. _Dammit, I'm sick of your pathetic whining! Go bother someone else! _–Uh huh... I know that this is calling in big favors, but I still let you stay in my country... Fine, dammit. I don't care how the hell you do it, just get it done!" The hotheaded Italian slammed the receiver down after alternating between talking to another at the end of the line and whispering furiously to his younger and much more stupider brother. "What the fucking _hell_, Feliciano! Why do you have to annoy the _shit_ out of me every time I don't answer you in the next two damn seconds? That was a very important call!"

Northern Italy's lower lip trembled. "Lovinoooooo, you don't let me know about anything when you're talking to your friends! You never let me meet them! And who were you talking about with them anywayyy?"

"It's none of your business, dammit." Romano may absolutely _suck_ at fighting wars, but he knows how to steer clear of them by diverting his brother's attention away from that kind of scenario. And in case he had to be away, he could always call in the mafia bosses on speed dial to give him a heads-up. "Bastard, it's for your own good. I don't want any part of Italy to get involved in fighting over something we don't necessarily _need_."

His younger brother continued hanging off his arm, a kicked-puppy expression still on his face. "Huh? I don't know what you mean. Fighting over what? Is Spain trying to get you to stay at his house again or something?"

"NO! That tomato bastard wouldn't try anything; he's gone too soft, the jackass," he replied angrily. "And his damn count—" he paused for a moment and reached for the phone again. "Dammit, I forgot about him." He quickly reached for the phone again and got back in touch with his previous contact, fully ignoring his brother this time. "Bucino, it's me again. Add that Spanish bastard to your surveillance list as well. That tomato idiot might fool himself into thinking he's a damn conquistador again. Okay... yeah, I can remember, dammit. Fine! _Addio_!" Again he threw down the phone with an angered gusto, turning to a still-puzzled redhead. "And you! Don't you dare try anything that has anything to do with getting more landmass! Don't even leave the country once we get back unless you tell me first, especially to Switzerland or Liechtenstein! And I don't care how much you want to go there to get a special wurst casing present for your potato bastard friend or any other shit; that can wait! Do you understand?"

"_C-certo, fratello_," came the blubbering response. "I don't want to come back here anyway! Switzerland might want to try to shoot at me again! Why are you so worried, anyway?"

Romano only huffed and refused to reply. The truth was, with Northern Italy being so acquainted with that damn Germany, there's no end to what he might try to gain his "complete trust and admiration for Italians everywhere!" or never ending friendship. Even if his pea-sized brain comes to the conclusion that this means more Liechtensteiner land, Lovino will not stand for more reason to mock his people's wartime skills, or lack thereof. As long as Feliciano can remember to put some clothes on before wandering into Swiss territory in the future, no one from that corner of the world should be searching for any reason to harm either Italy.

"_Mein Gott_, West, why didn't you bother informing the awesome me about what you've found out? I could have cornered her when her brother wasn't around and gotten her to spill the beans easily!"

Germany could only put a hand to his forehead as he listened to his older brother's antics. "Gilbert, that's exactly why I didn't want you a part of this," he replied tiredly. "You didn't think of the consequences of that. Switzerland may have seen you or hear about it later, and then would have killed you."

Prussia rolled his eyes and crossed his pale arms in front of his chest. "Pfft. You forgot that I still have my awesome journals that probably detail all of Switzy's flaws we can use against him, just like how they told me about the stupid aristocrat's! Nothing shall get to me!"

Germany only sighed at the antics, going over some paperwork he'd brought with him to work on in case he found time to do it. "_Bruder_, I didn't want to exploit anyone's flaws. I just wanted to learn more about an old country that I deeply respect. The only reason _you_ want to get involved is so you can be part of the action again."

"Tch! I do not! I was just trying to help you, West! Don't let that stick up your ass tell you any different; I can be awesome at just lazing around too!" Prussia answered cockily, missing Germany's true point entirely. "And doesn't your boss want more land to spread out anyway? This could be an easy chance to do that!"

Ludwig groaned inwardly. "That was sixty years ago, Prussia. My boss has changed since then." Sometimes he wondered how his brother had once been one of the most ruthless nations in Europe with such a small attention span.

"But there's always room for conquering, right? Kesesesesesese!" Gilbert laughed to himself. "I've decided you're too boring right now to entertain the awesome me, so I'm going back to my room and getting out some beer! Come by when you're done being all high and mighty!" And with that Prussia walked out, taking his bird along with him.

Ludwig watched his brother go and sighed with relief. Maybe now he could get some work done... He glanced at the briefcase sitting at the foot of his bed and decided that the paperwork could wait for a few minutes. He slowly reached for it and pulled out some yellowed papers, proclaiming at the top, "REPORTS OF HISTORY OF GERMANY 1800-1870". He glanced quickly at the clock and nodded to himself before beginning to read. He had time. And judging by the way Switzerland reacted after Liechtenstein left the room, the conference would surely be on hold for now.

A/N: I tried taking a break from the angsty Liechtenstein story and felt like showing something else... and this is what came as a result. Written in only three days; I'm so proud of myself! But my computer likes only words directly from the English language, as it seems. And I think I've used more foreign words in this chapter than I've ever done. I love writing about Hetalia characters, but now I'm ready to write more of Lilli's point of view. Now onto the translating:

Angleterre - England (French)

Non - no (French)

l'amour - love (French)

Oui - yes (French) [but you should know what oui means, non?]

mon cher - my dear (French)

moi - me (French)

C'est vrai - That's true (Fr.)

Tu es ane - You ass (Fr.) [lol, England doesn't know he was insulted]

frère - brother (Fr.)

Fratello - brother (Italian)

Addio - goodbye (Italian)

Certo - yes (Italian)

Mein Gott - My God (German)

Bruder - brother (German)

*wipes forehead* Phew! I'm done with translating! To what The paluszki treats Poland is eating are the very same from Episode 56; it makes me want to try them! Did I mention I love writing Southern Italy? He's got a big potty mouth, but it's still so much fun ~ Anyway, what he mentioned about the wurst casings for Germany actually has some fact to it. According to my sources, Liechtenstein is the world's largest producer of storage units, false teeth, and – get this – sausage casings! LOL, I knew I had to make a connection back to Germany's wurst somehow when I saw this ^.^ And in case you're wondering, I have no idea who Bucino is. I didn't mean for him to be another country or anything, just a Mafia boss that Romano has on speed dial. *giggles* I want to hijack his cell phone just to see that. Only in Southern Italy will you find something like that ~ Thanks for reading so far!


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